Reinforced collapsible hamper.



M. C. PETTINGELL.

REINYORCED COLLAPSIBLE HAMPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, I915.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

lnvenTor. Marcus C. Peflmgeil,

y 761444 Mam AIIy's UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUS C. PETTINGELL, OF DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM STOFFORD, 0F BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

REINFORCED COLLAPSIBLE HAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Application filed May 20, 1915. Serial No. 29,331.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARCUS C. PETTIN- GELL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Danvers, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Reinforced Collapsible Hampers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible receptacles adapted for holding parcels, particularly such as are sent by parcel post.

In the handling of small packages by express and parcel post it is customary to inclose them in trunks to facilitate handling and to prevent loss on board the trains. This method is not applicable to the parcel post as the trunks which have heretofore been constructed are very heavy and take up valuable space. For like reasons large baskets are also objectionable. Furthermore, where such containers are used a large amount of space is occupied if the receptacles are transported from one place to another in empty condition.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible receptacle which is adapted to hold a considerable number of parcels in a convenient and safe manner for handling on trains by express and parcel post, the receptacle being so constructed that several may be piled one upon the other without danger of breakage and which when emptied may .be spread out in such a manner as to occupy a comparatively small space.

Although the invention is primarily intended for use in the manner above indicated its use is of course not limited thereto but may in some of its embodiments be used for domestic purposes, as for carrying parcels, lunches, etc. The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the receptacle in knock-down condition with all of its flaps spread out, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the receptacle partly closed, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the receptacle closed and locked, and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the means for bracing the vertical sides of the receptacle.

The receptacle may be formed of an integral piece of canvas, leather or other suitable material, the heavy fibrous material such as canvas in its unfolded condition being preferably substantially of the form illustrated in Fig. 1. The preferably square bottom portion 1 may be of any suitable size and one or both sides may be reinforced with wood or any other suitable material. It may also desirably be provided with casters upon its under side. From the central bottom portion extend lateral flaps A-BO and D which preferably are of canvas integral with the covering material of the bottom 1, but may be made of leather or any similar flexible material. The flaps A and C are provided with wings 24 and 35 being provided with complementary portions 67 of snap catches such as ball and socket clasps or other suitable fasteners.

The wings extend outwardly from their respective flaps to such an extent that when the flaps are folded into the position shown in Figs. 2' and 3 the wings can be folded at right angles to said flaps and be secured together by the cooperating fastening members 6 and 7 to form a preliminary or partly completed receptacle open at the top. In using the receptacle for express or parcel post the parcels are packed upon the bottom 1 to form a pile which is substantially of cubical form having its base the full area of the bottom 1. The flaps A and G are then folded up into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the wings 24 and 3-5 are folded at right angles to said flaps and fastened together by the fasteners 67 to form the ends of an open rectangular receptacle which may be then filled to completion. I

The Wings A and C may be of a width to correspond to the desired depth or height of the receptacle and the flaps are desirably provided with extensions 8 and 9 adapted to be folded upon flexible lines 10 and 11 corresponding to the continuations of the outer edges of the wings 23 and 45.

The extension 8 of the flap A is proyided with a reinforcement 12 of leather, canvas or other suitable material or a hemmed portion of the extension 8, and a metallic bar to PIOJGCb through a transversely extending row of holes or slots 15.in theextension 9 of the flap C, when the latter is folded along the line 11 down over the flap A. The flaps B and D are provided respectively with extensions 16 and 17 which are adapted to be folded along flexible lines 18 and 19 down upon the flaps A and C, each of these extensions being provided with slots 20-21 adapted to receive the staples 14 which project through the slots 15 after the extenslon 9 has been positioned as aforesaid. After the flaps with their extensions have been folded in the manner above described the may be securely held together by a suita le strap 22 afiixed to the flap B which may be passed through the loops 14 and its free end secured in a suitable locking device 25 carried by the flap D. The flaps A and C may be provided with suitable handles 24 to facilitate handling the receptacle when folded.

It will be observed that the receptacle thus assembled comprises a box having a rectangular bottom of stiff material with vertical sides extending upwardly therefrom, two of the sides being formed of the overlapping wings 2-4 and 3-5 which are secured together by the snap fasteners 67 thus providing rigid stifiening for the ends of the box. The ends of the box are further stiffened by the inclosing flaps B and D. The top of the box is likewise strengthened and reinforced since it comprises first the overlapped extensions 8 and 9 of the end flaps A and C these being in turn overlapped by the portions 1617 of the flaps B and D, all of the overlapped members of sand top portion being secured together by the interlocking staples and loops which rece1ve tl 1e binding strap 22. This provides a very rigid construction which for general use may be sufficient but for the careless handling given by the employees of express companles, the parcel post, etc., and in order prevent the possibility of a receptacle being collapsed by the weight of, other parcels or receptacles piled thereupon, I have found it convenient to provide additional stiffening members for the sides A and C of the receptacle which in the construction above described is only of a single thickness of material. This is accomplished in the preferred form of the invention illustrated herein by providing inner and outer stiffening members 26-27 preferably of metal, secured together and to the flaps C and D by rivets 28 or other suitable fasteners. The inner member 27 is of a length corresponding exactly to the interior depth of the receptacle while the outer member 26 is provided with a screw threaded projecting portion 29 extending above the top of the box and is provided with a thumb nut 30 or other suitable fastening. Any number of stiffening devices of this character may be used but as illustrated herein four is usually sufiicient to give' the required amount of rigidity to the receptacle. The vertical stiffening members 26-27 preferably are united at the top by transverse bars 31' having apertures at their ends adapted to receive the screw threaded stems 29 of the outer stiffening members 26 or if desired the bars 31 may be hinged at one end to the vertical members 26.

When the receptacle has been filled, closed and locked in the manner aforesaid, the transverse bars 31 are put in place as illustrated in Fig. 4 and are securely clamped by the thumb nuts 30 in the manner aforesaid.

It will be noted that the receptacle thus constructed is of such a shape as to utilize all the space to the best advantage and these receptacles can be piled up in the car or other conveyance without the loss of room. By reason of the fact that all of the sides are stiffened in the manner aforesaid, as many receptacles may be placed, one upon another as may be required without danger of collapsing the receptacles or injuring their contents. When the receptacles are emptied the flaps and wings may be folded upon the bottom 1 so that the receptacle may be put away in a small space and may be handled without inconvenience.

It will be obvious that if desired the staples and loops may be omitted -and the flaps secured by a strap passing over the outside of the receptacle after the flaps are folded, the end of the strap being held in the securing lock 25. v

t is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is illustrative merely and is not restrictive and that modifications may be made in the form, size and construction of the receptacle without departing from the scope of the invention covered by the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

1. A collapsible receptacle, comprising a rigid bottom, a flap of flexible material secured to and extending laterally from each edge of said bottom, a pair of wings extending laterally from an oppositely disposed pair of said flaps, means for securing a wing of each flap to a wing of the other flap when said flaps and wings are raised to a position substantially at right angles to said bottom, whereby said pair of flaps form sides of the completed receptacle and said wings form the ends of a preliminary receptacle, one of said flaps being provided with a series of loops and the remaining flaps having a series of holes adapted to receive said loops, all of said flaps being adapted to be folded to form a closed receptacle, and a securingmember arranged to pass through said loops to hold said flaps in folded position.

2. A collapsible receptacle comprising a rigid bottom, a flap of flexible material secured to and extending laterally from each edge of said bottom, a pair of wings extending laterally from an oppositely disposed pair of said flaps, means for securing a wing of each flap to a wing of the other flap when said flaps and wings are raised to a position substantially at right angles to said bottom, whereby said pair of flaps form sides of the completed receptacle and said wings form ends of the partly completed receptacle, one of said flaps being provided with a transversely extending series of loops, one of said flaps having a transverse series of holes and two of said flaps each having a longitudinal series of holes, said holes being so arranged that when said flaps are folded over each other said loops pass through them all, a strap extending through said loops, and means for securing said strap against removal from said loops.

3. A collapsible receptacle comprising a :igid bottom, a flap of flexible material seulred to and extending laterally from each edge of said bottom, a pair of wings extending laterally from each of an oppositely dispospd pair of flaps, rigid reinforcing members extending longitudinally of said flaps, means for securing a wing of each flap to a wing of an opposite flap when said flaps and wings are raised to a position substantially at right angles to said bottom whereby said pair of flaps form sides of the com pleted receptacle and said wings form inner end members of said receptacle, extensions upon said flaps, one being provided with a series of loops and the others with series of holes adapted to receive said loops, a securing member arranged to pass through said loops and locking means to receive the end of said securing member, and transverse strengthening members connecting the vertical strengthening members which are secured to the side flaps aforesaid.

4. A collapsible receptacle comprising a rectangular bottom portion, flexible members or flaps secured thereto adapted to form sides and top members, oppositely disposed flaps being provided with wings, means for securing together the adjacent edges of cooperating wings whereby the ends of said receptacle are strengthened, strengthening members secured to the side members or flaps forming said receptacle, metallic bars for securely connecting oppositely disposed strengthening members and locking means for securing the extensions of the flaps rigidly together thereby providing a top having a plurality of thicknesses substantially as described.

5. A collapsible receptacle comprising a rigid rectangular base, canvas members or flaps secured thereto adapted to form side and top members one pair of oppositely disposed flaps being provided with wings, means for securing together the adjacent edges of cooperating wings whereby the ends of said receptacle are strengthened, metallic members secured to the side members or flaps adjacent to and in parallelism with the edges thereof and having reduced end portions, metallic bars apertured to receive the ends of said metallic members, removable means for retaining said metallic bars and members in interlocked position and means for securing the top members together to complete the closure of the receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MARCUS C. PETTINGELL. 

